Power sliding device of vehicle sliding door

ABSTRACT

A powered sliding device comprises wire cables ( 21′, 21″ ) provided between a sliding door ( 11 ) and a vehicle body ( 10 ), and a power unit ( 20 ) for sliding the sliding door when the wire cables are moved by the power of a motor. The power unit is provided in the inner space of the sliding door. The wire cables are composed of the door-opening cable ( 21′ ) and the door-closing cable ( 21″ ) connected to the power unit at a base end side, respectively. A front end of the door-opening cable is fixed to the vicinity of the rear end of a lower rail ( 14 ) after having passed through a lower roller bracket ( 18 ) of the sliding door, and the front end of the door-closing cable is fixed to the vicinity of the front end of a center rail ( 16 ) after having passed though a center roller bracket ( 19 ) of the sliding door.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a powered sliding device of a vehiclesliding door.

BACKGROUND ART OF THE INVENTION

A powered sliding device of a vehicle sliding door including a slidingdoor slidably mounted on a guide rail provided on a vehicle body, a wirecable coupled to the sliding door, and a power unit for pulling the wirecable in a door-opening direction and a door-closing direction with amotor power so as to slide the sliding door in the door-openingdirection and the door-closing direction is conventionally known.

FIGS. 1A and 1B show a conventional basic arrangement relationship of avehicle body A and a sliding door B. A lower rail D is fixed in thevicinity of a lower part of an ingress/egress aperture C of the vehiclebody A, and a center rail E is fixed on a quarter panel of the vehiclebody A. When the ingress/egress aperture C is blocked with the slidingdoor B, the lower rail D is isolated from the outside of the vehiclewith the sliding door B and protected from rainwater. However, thecenter rail E is substantially always exposed to the outside and is notprotected from rainwater.

The sliding door B has a lower roller bracket F and a center rollerbracket G which are slidably engaged with the lower rail D and thecenter rail E, respectively. The roller brackets F and G are pivotallymounted on the sliding door B, preferably. The sliding door B moves inthe door-opening direction and the door-closing direction through theslidable engagement of the roller brackets and the rails.

The prior art powered sliding device is classified into four types inaccordance with the arrangement position. FIGS. 2A and 2B show the firsttype (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 5,203,112). A power unit H of the firsttype powered sliding device is provided under the floor panel of thevehicle body in the vicinity of the ingress/egress aperture C. A wirecable J which moves the sliding door B with the power of the power unitH is substantively formed into a loop, passing through the lower rail D,and is coupled to the lower roller bracket F. With such configuration,the sliding door B is slidable with the movement of the wire cable J bythe power of the power unit H.

In the second type device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,913,563, as shownin FIGS. 3A and 3B, the power unit H is provided in an interior space Kof the quarter panel. The loop shaped wire cable J is passed through thecenter rail E, and is coupled to the center roller bracket G of thesliding door B.

In the third type device shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the power unit H isprovided in the interior space K similar to the second type device(refer to U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,640). The wire cable of the third typedevice is divided into a door-opening cable J′ and a door-closing cableJ″, and the opening cable J′ is guided by the lower rail D to be coupledto the lower bracket F of the sliding door B, and the closing cable J″is guided by the center rail E to be coupled to the center bracket G ofthe sliding door B.

In the fourth type device, as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the power unit His provided inside the sliding door B (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No.2001-336352). The wire cable of the fourth type device is also dividedinto the opening cable J′ and the closing cable J″. The opening cable J′is fixed to a rear end portion of the center rail E by way of the centerbracket G, and the closing cable J″ is fixed to a front end portion ofthe center rail E by way of the center bracket G.

In the first type device, an installation space for the power unit Hmust be defined under the floor panel of the vehicle body, and thus thefirst type device has a disadvantage that the vehicle interior spacebecomes narrow. Further, a path for the wire cable J which has to beprovided under the floor panel narrows the vehicle interior space. Inaddition, since a part of nearly more than half of the wire cable J isdifficult to be recognized by the eye or to touch it by the hand, it isdifficult to carry out maintenance.

In the second type device, the power unit H is provided in the interiorspace K of the quarter panel, and thus the second type device has adisadvantage, similar to the first type device, that the vehicleinterior space becomes narrow. Further, a pulley for guiding the wirecable J which has to be provided on each of the front and back ends ofthe center rail E further narrows the vehicle interior space.Additionally, in the second type device, even if the sliding door B isin the closed state, the wire cable J is permanently positioned in thecenter rail E over the entire length. The center rail E is, in effect,always exposed to the outside and thus is not protected from rainwater.Therefore, the second type device has a disadvantage that, due to therainwater falling on the center rail E, the grease and the like appliedto the wire cable J may come off, causing the quarter panel to be dirty.There is also a problem that dust may adhere on the wire cable Jpermanently positioned in the center rail E. In addition, similarly tothe first type, since a part of nearly more than half of the wire cableis difficult to be recognized by the eye and to touch it by the hand, itis difficult to carry out maintenance.

In the third type device, if the sliding door B is in the closed state,the closing cable J″ is not, in effect, present in the center rail E,and thus problems of quarter panel becoming dirty, and dust adhering onthe closing cable J″ are alleviated. However, the power unit H isprovided in the interior space K of the quarter panel and a pulley mustbe provided at the front end of the center rail E to guide the closingcable J″. Thus, there is a disadvantage that the vehicle interior spacebecomes narrow, as in the first and the second type. In addition, sinceboth of the door-opening cable J′ and the door-closing cable J″ aredifficult to be easily recognized by the eye and to touch them by thehand, it is troublesome to carry out maintenance, similarly to the firsttype and the second type.

In the fourth type device, the power unit H is provided inside thesliding door B, and there is no need to attach a pulley to the centerrail E, and thus there is an advantage of effectively utilizing thevehicle interior space. However, even if the sliding door B is in theclosed state, one part of the opening cable J′ is permanently located inthe center rail E, and thus the fourth type device has a disadvantagethat the grease and the like applied to the opening cable J′ may comeoff, causing the quarter panel to become dirty. There is also a problemof dust adhering on the door-opening cable J′ that is permanentlypositioned in the center rail E.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved poweredsliding device for overcoming the above-described conventional problems.To achieve this object, the device is configured such that a power unitis arranged within a sliding door, and a door-opening cable is fixed toa vehicle body through a lower rail, and a door-closing cable is fixedto the vehicle body through a center rail.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a view showing a conventional basic relationship between avehicle body and a sliding door, in which the sliding door is in aclosed state;

FIG. 1B is a view showing the conventional basic relationship betweenthe vehicle body and the sliding door, in which the sliding door is inan open state;

FIG. 2A is a view showing a first type of a conventional power unit anda wire cable, in which the sliding door in the closed state;

FIG. 2B is a view showing the first type of the conventional power unitand the wire cable, in which the sliding door in the open state;

FIG. 3A is a view showing a second type of a conventional power unit anda wire cable, in which the sliding door in the closed state;

FIG. 3B is a view showing the second type of the conventional power unitand the wire cable, in which the sliding door in the open state;

FIG. 4A is a view showing a third type of a conventional power unit anda wire cable, in which the sliding door in the closed state;

FIG. 4B is a view showing the third type of the conventional power unitand the wire cable, in which the sliding door in the open state;

FIG. 5A is a view showing a fourth type of a conventional power unit anda wire cable, in which the sliding door in the closed state;

FIG. 5B is a view showing the fourth type of the conventional power unitand the wire cable, in which the sliding door in the open state;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a vehicle provided with a powered slidingdevice according to the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a view showing a relationship between a power unit and a wirecable of the powered sliding device, in which the sliding door in theclosed state;

FIG. 8 is view showing the relationship between the power unit and thewire cable of the powered sliding device, in which the sliding door inthe open state;

FIG. 9 is an enlarged plan view of a center rail and a center rollerbracket of the sliding door; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged plan view of a lower rail and a lower rollerbracket of the sliding door.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be explainedwith reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 shows a vehicle body 10, asliding door 11 slidably attached to the vehicle body 10, and aningress/egress aperture 12 which can be blocked by the sliding door 11.An upper rail 13 is fixed to the vehicle body 10 in the vicinity of anupper part of the ingress/egress aperture 12, a lower rail 14 is fixedto the vehicle body 10 in the vicinity of a lower part of theingress/egress aperture 12, and a center rail 16 is fixed to a quarterpanel 15 as a rear side panel of the vehicle body 10. When theingress/egress aperture 12 is blocked by the sliding door 11, the upperrail 13 and the lower rail 14 are isolated from the outside of thevehicle by the sliding door 11 and protected from rainwater. However,the center rail 16 is substantively always exposed to the outside andthus is not protected from rainwater.

The sliding door 11 has an upper roller bracket 17, a lower rollerbracket 18 and a center roller bracket 19 which are slidably engagedwith the upper rail 13, the lower rail 14 and the center rail 16,respectively. The roller brackets 17, 18 and 19 are pivotally mounted onthe sliding door 11, preferably. The sliding door 11 is movable in thedoor-opening direction and the door-closing direction through theslidable engagement of the roller brackets and the rails.

A power unit 20 having a motor power is provided in the inside space ofthe sliding door 11. The power unit 20 preferably includes a wire drumfor winding and pulling out the wire cable. One end of each of the twowire cables, i.e., the door-opening cable 21′ and the door-closing cable21″ is coupled to the wire drum. When the wire drum is rotated in theopening direction, the opening cable 21′ is wounded, and the closingcable 21″ is pulled out. When the wire drum is rotated in the closingdirection, the opening cable 21′ is pulled out and the closing cable 21″is wounded.

The door-opening cable 21′ is pulled out toward the outside of thesliding door 11 from the lower position on the front side of the slidingdoor 11, namely, the position in the vicinity of the lower rollerbracket 18. The lower roller bracket 18 is provided with a pulley 22supported by a vertical shaft 22A. The door-opening cable 21′ pulled outfrom the sliding door 11, after passing through the front side of thepulley 22, is guided to the back within the lower rail 14, and is fixedto the rear end portion of the lower rail 14 or to the vehicle body 10in the vicinity of thereof. By this configuration, when the door-openingcable 21′ is wound up by the wire drum, the sliding door 11 slidesbackward (in the door-opening direction) through the lower rollerbracket 18.

The door-closing cable 21″ is pulled out to the outside of the slidingdoor 11 from the central portion in the upper and lower direction of therear side of the sliding door 11, i.e., the position in the vicinity ofthe center roller bracket 19. The center roller bracket 19 is providedwith a pulley 23 supported by a vertical shaft 23A. The door-closingcable 21″ pulled out of the sliding door 11, after passing through therear side of the pulley 23, is guided to the front side within thecenter rail 16, and is fixed to the front end portion of the center rail16 or to the vehicle body 10 in the vicinity of thereof. By thisconfiguration, when the door-closing cable 21″ is wound up by the wiredrum, the sliding door 11 slides forward (in the door-closing direction)through the center roller bracket 19.

The center bracket 19, when the sliding door 11 is closed, moves to thefront end portion in the vicinity of the center rail 16. Hence, when oneend of the door-closing cable 21″ is fixed to the front end of thecenter rail 16 through the center bracket 19, in the door closed stateof FIG. 7, the door-closing cable 21″ within the center rail 16 can besubstantially eliminated. Consequently, in the door-closed state, thefalling of the rainwater directly on the door-closing cable 21″ isprevented to a large extent, and the grease and the like adhered to thedoor-closing cable 21″ are also substantially prevented from flowing outtogether with the rainwater to contaminate the quarter panel 15.

The power unit 20 of the present invention is provided in the innerspace of the sliding door 11, and there is no need to mount the pulleyon the center rail 16 and the lower rail 14 for guiding the wire cableof the power unit 20. Hence, the powered sliding device of the presentinvention does not make the inner space of the vehicle body narrow.

Further, the door-opening cable 21′ is configured such that it makes anU-turn in the front side of the pulley 22 of the lower bracket 18 and isguided to the rear side within the lower rail 14, and the door-closingcable 21″ is configured that it makes an U-turn in the rear side of thepulley 23 of the center bracket 19, and is guided to the front sidewithin the center rail 14, and therefore, it is easy to check the cables21′ and 21″ by visual observation and to check them by direct touching.

1. A powered sliding device of a vehicle sliding door including asliding door slidably mounted on a vehicle body in a forwarddoor-closing direction and in a backward door-opening direction, a wirecable provided between the sliding door and the vehicle body, and apower unit for sliding the sliding door in the door-closing directionand in the door-opening direction by moving the wire cable by a motorpower, comprising: a lower roller bracket provided in a lower portion ofa front side portion of the sliding door; a center roller bracketprovided in a rear side portion of the sliding door; a lower rail, withwhich the lower roller bracket is slidably engaged, being provided nearor at a lower part of an ingress/egress aperture of the vehicle body,said lower rail being isolated from an outside of the vehicle body whenthe sliding door is closed; a center rail, with which the center rollerbracket is slidably engaged, being provided on a quarter panel of thevehicle body, said center rail being not isolated from the outside ofthe vehicle body even when the sliding door is closed; said power unitbeing provided in an inside space of the sliding door; said wire cableincluding a door-opening cable and a door-closing cable, each of thedoor-opening cable and the door-closing cable having base side end, eachof the base side ends being coupled to the power unit; a distal end ofthe door-opening cable being protruded outside the sliding door from thefront side portion of the sliding door, extended in a rearward directionwithin the lower rail by way of the lower roller bracket, and fixed to aposition near or at a rear end of the lower rail; a distal end of thedoor-closing cable being protruded outside the sliding door from therear side portion of the sliding door, extended in a forward directionwithin the center rail by way of the center roller bracket, and fixed toa position near or at a front end of the center rail.
 2. The poweredsliding device of the vehicle sliding door according to claim 1, whereina front pulley, against which the door-opening cable abuts, is mountedon the lower roller bracket by a vertical shaft.
 3. The powered slidingdevice of the vehicle sliding door according to claim 1, wherein a rearpulley, against which the door-closing cable abuts, is mounted on thecenter roller bracket by a vertical shaft.